Tag Archive for anthocyanin

We grow a handful of different varieties of sweet potatoes on the farm. They may have different colored skin but most have the more traditional orange colored flesh. We also grow a variety of white sweet potato that is cream colored both inside and out. Some customers say the white sweet potatoes are a little creamier than their orange fleshed counter-parts.

The most unique sweet potato we grow and sell is our purple sweet potato. This sweet potato is purple both inside and out. According to Kansas State University, purple sweet potatoes contain “significantly higher anthocyanin content and more anti-aging and antioxidant components than other sweet potatoes.” (source)

Purple sweet potatoes have a lower water content which makes them denser and starchier. We experimented by boiling them and baking them. The boiled potatoes were less creamy and tended to be a little gummy. The baked purple sweet potatoes were a more creamy consistent texture.

Most of all, the baked method was a lot easier. Preheat your oven to 400°. Scrub the potatoes. Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork a couple times and place on a baking pan. No foil needed. Pop them in the oven. Since the ones we used were small it only took about 25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potato.

Do you want your sweet potato pie to stand out? How about a Purple Sweet Potato Pie?